The present invention relates to a dental attachment or anchoring structure for attaching a dental appliance such as a full denture, overdenture, partial denture, or the like to a remaining non-vital root, an adjacent tooth, or to an endosseus implant.
Dental anchoring assemblies are known in which a female part is provided for attachment to a root, implant, or adjacent tooth, and a male part is engaged in a recess in a dental appliance, the male and female parts having mating, snap engageable formations for releasably securing the male part to the female part. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,570 of Zuest, the female part has a socket and the male part has a head for snap engagement in the socket. However, users may find it difficult to properly locate the male head in the female socket, such that the head may hit the periphery of the socket in some cases. Repeated impacts of this nature may damage the retentive head of the male, causing it to lose some of its retention ability.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,030,219 and 6,299,447 of Zuest et al. describe dental attachment assemblies in which the male part has a skirt for snap engagement over an outer locating surface of the female or abutment member. The male part may also have a central stem for snap engagement in a socket in the female part, providing both inner and outer retention surfaces, and therefore increased retention force. It is also easier to locate the male part properly over the female part. However, these parts are of a relatively large diameter which is not suitable for anterior teeth or for locations in a denture corresponding to the smallest teeth.